


Dark and Deep

by Rebel_Atar



Series: Yondu Week [7]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy - All Media Types
Genre: Earth AU, Gen, Golden Age of Piracy AU, Pining, Pirates, Pre-Slash, dar - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 15:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12257208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebel_Atar/pseuds/Rebel_Atar
Summary: Day 7 of Yondu week: AUYondu is proud of his ship and his crew, even his distant and private first mate.





	Dark and Deep

The Eclector creaked and groaned as it was rocked gently by the waves. It was pitch black. Kraglin Obfonteri huddled around a hooded lantern, guarding its light and heat jealously. He kept one hand on the wheel of the ship, he hated steering through the night but somebody had to. Pirates didn’t generally have the luxury of dropping anchor to sleep.

The wind buffeted his cloak and he hunched further in on himself. Wind was good. Wind filled their sails and kept them moving. Calm would be much worse. He tried to remind himself of this every time it felt as though he would be swept up by it and flung overboard. At least it wasn’t raining.

Tullk was due to relieve him when they moved from middle watch to morning watch but they were only just past five bells. Three turns of the hourglass to go before he could skulk back down to the belly of the ship and fold himself into hammock.

The wind changed and Kraglin reeled for a moment before moving to brace from a different angle. He spun the wheel a quarter turn to the left to adjust for the change in wind and supressed a shiver. He stamped his feet to try and get some numbness out and warmth in. It was the darkest part of the night, a new moon meaning the hooded lantern was all he had to steer by.

Kraglin should consider himself lucky the Captain trusted him enough to take middle watch. The crew sleeping and vulnerable below. If he were less loyal this would be the time to set his plans in motion, but Yondu Udonta had picked his first mate well. Whilst Kraglin did on occasion harbour thoughts of unfair treatment, of jealousy for the closeness and cameraderie others shared with the captain, he was loyal to the death for Udonta. Woe betide anyone who tried to take out their captain if Kraglin was standing by.

There was a creak behind him, out of cadence with the rest of the ship’s motions and he stiffened. One hand went to his pistol. Kraglin preferred a cutlass, hell he preferred a couple of long knives to that but if he wanted to get the drop on someone a pistol gave him distance coverage and added speed if it was already loaded. His was, he always kept a brace of two tucked inside his jacket on the safe side. Although he paled in comparison to the number of weapons the captain carried.

He locked the wheel, the last thing he wanted was the ship to turn wildly, as the creaks drew closer accompanied by the soft padding of feet. He spun and levelled the pistol at his assailants chest only to find himself staring into the eyes of Yondu Udonta himself.

“On the defensive are we, Obfonteri?” Said the captain.

Kraglin lowered the gun before stowing it back in the brace holster. “Cap’n”

He saluted, the double pound of his closed fist to his left breast that the fleet they belonged to insisted upon. As far from a Navy salute as they could manage. Every last founding member burned by them some way or another. The attacks any of the Ravager factions bestowed upon Navy vessels that crossed their paths were a thing of legend.

“How are we doing?” Said Yondu. He stepped forward, one hand reaching out to grab a spoke of the wheel.

“Holding steady, Sir. Had to adjust for wind change but still on course.” Kraglin unlocked the wheel and stepped back, letting his captain have run of the ship. He looked good at the wheel. Battered and scarred but standing proud, a lopsided grin firmly in place. You could see his love for her in every motion, his love for the sea in the way he swayed gently in time with the waves rocking the ship.

“Wind’s good, stars are clear. Should’ve made good time come mornin’.” His voice was rough, from what the old salts of the crew said it had been as long as anyone had known him. The old salts that would sit by their captain and laugh and joke. Those that had stood by him from the beginning. Sometimes Kraglin wondered why he was appointed first mate over any of them.

“Cap’n.” Said Kraglin.

“For God’s sake Obfonteri loosen up. Only you and me up here now. No need for formality.”

Kraglin blinked, thrown off by the change of character and break from both regulation and tradition. “Um….Sir?”

Yondu rolled his eyes and gave his first mate a look over one shoulder. “Try again?”

“Y-yondu?”

His captain smiled at him, something new behind his eyes that lit Kraglin up from the inside. “Better.” He said and turned back to the wheel. “Yer always so distance Obfonteri. It’s fine enough in front of the rest of the crew but you need to learn to loosen up around yer fellow officers and yer Captain.”

“Kraglin.” Said Kraglin.

“Whatchu say?” This was accompanied by another glance over Yondu’s shoulder.

“I said ‘Kraglin’. If yer sure yous wantin’ me to be less formal right now. ‘S my first name.”

Yondu chuckled and beckoned his first mate forward. “I know what yer name is Kraglin.” He put his first mate’s hands on the wheel and threw an arm around his shoulders. “You happy here Kraggles?”

Kraglin blinked at the nickname, that was new. “Umm.” He thought about it for a moment. About the nights spent on First, Middle and Morning watch with the wind threatening to whisk him overboard, thought about desperately fixing the rigging in lashing icy rain from the storms, thought about maggoty hardtack and salted meats and bleeding gums. Then he thought about clear skies and calm seas with the wind at their back, he thought about the warmth and safety of a hammock rocking in time with the waves and surrounded by crewmates, he thought about the friends he had made, the few people he did relax around. He thought about the gutter he’d come from and then he thought about the man standing next to him with an arm around his shoulder. The man who had seen potential in a scrawny, boney wretch with teeth like broken glass. The man whose presence lifted some unseen, unknown weight from Kraglin whenever he was near.

“Yes.” Said Kraglin. “Yes, I’m happy.”

Yondu smiled back at him, all glinting gold teeth and eyes sparkling with warmth. “Good.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Ahaha I love this setting too much it’s becoming a ‘verse


End file.
